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Friday, October 31, 2014

It's so hard to believe that tomorrow is November. Where does the time go, y'all?! I so wish that it would just slow down a bit. But being as it is not only the final day of October, but also the last Friday of the month, it's time for my Friday Faves post. It fittingly begins with Teresa Collins'Nine & Co. 12x12 Collection Kit. This one made me see fall in a whole new light, friends, a soft, subtle, girly light. Swoon!

October Afternoon'sPublic Library 12x12 Collection Kit has also recently made my radar. With my family's love for books, it is a must-have. I don't even know where to begin. I love this one so much, especially all the vintage bits and pieces reminiscent of so many beloved characters.

Last month, I featured a trio of flair buttons from A Flair for Buttons. Well, this month, I've got three more to share, including All Boy 1, Burlap Winter, and Hello Winter 1. So fun!

I couldn't help but toss in a seemingly out-of-place fave, the Ninja Express Chopper. Y'all, this is the best food processor I've ever owned. It chops in literally five pulses and makes pureeing homemade baby food for my little guy a breeze.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

First and foremost, let me just say how proud we are of our Kansas City Royals. We are thoroughly bummed by their World Series loss but beyond thrilled by their American League Championship win. What a talented bunch of young men! They've got lots of years left to play, and we'll be right here to keep cheering them on. Thanks for a phenomenal postseason, guys!

With that said, here I am bringing you this month's For the Love of Books post with just a couple of days left in the month yet again. I never mean to do it. Matter of fact, I usually have a book picked out long before the month even arrives. There are just too many great books to share! Time just slips away from me, but I'm here, none-the-less, now. So, let's just get right to it. I have been asked over and over again why my family doesn't celebrate Halloween. Well, this month's book choice, written for children ages nine to twelve, sums it up more eloquently and sensitively than I ever could. Please know that it is not meant to be a judgment upon anyone else's decisions one way or another but simply an explanation of ours.

Mommy, Why Don't We Celebrate Halloween?, written by Linda Hacon Winwood and illustrated by Al Berg, gives a detailed history behind the origins of Halloween and its evolution from the Irish Celts to what it has become today through a simple/understandable conversation between a mother and her children. Mom does a great job of encouraging her children to not be afraid to ask their questions and guiding them in answering many of those questions with what they already know to be true. Then, when her daughter challenges as to whether or not she really believes all the things they discussed, she responds in a way that I think is completely worth quoting. "Yes, I do, Sarah. Some people think I'm making a big deal over nothing, but God has placed Daddy and me over you to protect you and to teach you about Jesus. We are not willing to give Satan the tiniest crack to enter your lives and hurt you. It's the joy, peace, and good news of Jesus that we want to plant in your hearts and minds. We cannot allow you to do something we know dishonors Him. That's why we don't permit Halloween in our home."

Friends, I know there are a lot of controversies and opinions surrounding this book and Halloween in general, but I encourage you to seek the written word to formulate and/or solidify your own decisions; "and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Colossians 3:17). Thanks so much for reading! Have a safe and memorable weekend! Hugs!

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Morning, friends! Just stopping in to share a little of what's kept us running over the last few weeks. We closed out our first nine weeks of school and celebrated, with another homeschool family, at the Kansas City Zoo.

And while Adina is an old pro at riding the carousel (She's even recognized by the staff.)...

Kaden got his first solo run at it, of course with me holding on tight. He licked that pole to bits. Ick! But he loved it!

Adina had her last ballet class of the season, and all the ladies put on a little show for the parents. Gosh, she does those positions with such ease. It almost pains me to have her not continue for now, but she really wants to play basketball, and one of our rules is one sport per kid at a time. We may change that as they get older, but for now, it keeps me sane. Sometimes they overlap with the close of one and beginning of another, but I can handle that.

I think it's so fun that her teacher has all the girls sit on the floor at the end of class, close their eyes, and put their hands on their heads for a stamp. Then, once everyone has received their stamp, they're all allowed to look at the same time. Miss Kozetta was so great!

Adina and Kaden (Ezekiel was having a hormonal day. Lord, please help me to more than just survive his teenage years!) helped us turn 80 pounds of apples (Although, we have a heap of apples leftover.) into 50 pints of apple butter last Saturday, and it was the easiest run yet. We've got it down to a science, y'all, even a compost bin to pitch all the skins that don't get munched on first, and we always have such fun doing it.

I got my first PINCHme box. Woohoo! It housed a blueberry Mr. Sketch marker. We loved the scent and bold, bright color, but I wasn't excited about it not being washable. It didn't even come off of skin after lots of scrubbing. I cannot imagine what it would do to clothing. Ugh! So, instead of making its way into my kiddos' art supplies, it'll go into my personal marker stash for grading papers, which still makes it lots of fun for everyone.

My little guy keeps bumping his head on everything. Thus, the reason for all the forehead bruises below. Poor guy! I know it's just a part of growing up. Anyway, we have a four-inch floor drop from our little library into Ezekiel's room, and he wiped out last week. So, we threw Adina's squashed beanbag down to soften the blows, and it worked like a charm. Although, it only took that once; and now, he's got the up and down crawl down packed. The beanbag stays put, though. It's for my own peace of mind.

He also is loving our ride-on toy, which keeps his mind off those painful teeth. He's got four now! This one has been through all my kiddos, and it's still going strong.

ALL of my kiddos are. Gosh, they've had such fun cheering on our Kansas City Royals this season, and you can bet they'll be doing so again, for game seven, tonight. Go, Royals!

So, that's all, for now, folks. I've got a For the Love of Books post coming your way tomorrow and my Friday Faves post to round out the work week, before starting the month of November out right with a couple of challenge-inspired pages. Thanks so much for checking in on us, and have a wonderful Wednesday! Hugs!

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Just popping in with my take on The Studio'snewest challenge. Folks, Anna is calling for us to get messy this go around. So, I pulled in lots of goodies for my take from mists and inks to acrylic paint and a bit of Color Shine. I was thoroughly inspired by all the wonderful goodies I received in this month's Jenni Bowlin Papercrafting Kit, including a heap of stuff from October Afternoon's new Apple Cider collection. Yum! So, let's just get started.

I started this page by smudging Patina Glimmer Mist onto my textured, vanilla, cardstock, base page. I then inked it, through an arrow stencil, with Faded Jeans Distress Ink; stamped it, in Cajun Craze and Pumpkin Pie inks, with the circle elements; and splattered it with both Titanium White acrylic paint and Tinsel Color Shine. That sets the foundation. I then stretched a strip of navy, corrugated cardstock, which had been torn across its bottom edge, down the vertical center of my page and topped it with clusters of layered, color-coordinating, patterned papers, anchored with gray-threaded, straight and zig-zag, machine stitches. My photos were matted with Whisper White cardstock and secured, with foam tape, over those yummy papers. The top photos were strung together with white string, tied in a bow.

I also tucked a tiny vintage, prescription label behind the left photo and labeled its top left corner with a yellow, 11.15.13, arrow sticker.

The back photo on the bottom was just a photo of my kiddos buried in the leaves. You wouldn't have even known anyone was there, except for their giggles. I thought that I'd use it on my layout and had it printed, but it just didn't tell the story I wanted to tell. I did love the way it layered in nicely behind the photo of my kiddos poking their hands through the leaves, though.

A straight edge was used to cut the "life documented" phrase bits from the tag, before they were secured above the photos, while the rest of the tag was layered below.

A "hello" transparency was stapled in the photos' bottom right corner. I just painted the backside of it with a little more of that Titanium White acrylic paint to really make it stand out.

Another vintage, prescription label, amidst a kraft envelope and jar sticker, was secured to the right side of the lower photo grouping with a simple staple.

Don't you just adore that big jar?! Me & My Big Ideas got it right with that design, and Jenni Bowlin even more so by adding it to her October Papercrafting Kit. Love! A couple of Pillow Puff phrase bits round things off beautifully. I also scattered a number of Pillow Puff acorns and hand-cut, from patterned paper, leaves throughout the page.

Finally, I cut the "Rake Pile Jump!" title from patterned paper; secured it, with foam tape, between the photo clusters; and dressed it up with both a "hello there..." phrase sticker and stamped, in More Mustard ink, on White cardstock and hand-cut owl.

Be sure to stop by the challenge link above to see what the rest of the girls have whipped up just for your viewing pleasure, as well as to get all of your challenge details. Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a wonderful week, friends!

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Hey, friends! We've had a super busy morning of making and canning our homemade apple butter, which is without a doubt going to carry well into the evening hours, but I just had to take a minute to share a little creation inspired by our crown-bound Royals. Go, Royals!

I started this card by stamping a strip of White cardstock, in Bashful Blue ink, with the "Believe!" sentiment background; adhering it along the inside edge of the White, cardstock, card base; rounding the corners; and anchoring it with white-threaded, straight, machine stitches.

I then trimmed the bottom of a piece of soft blue, stripe, patterned paper with a piece of woodgrain, patterned paper and the space between them with a strip of black, stripe, patterned paper, before anchoring the resulting piece, to the trimmed card face, with white-threaded, straight, machine stitches. The tag was hand cut from vellum, and although it is hidden by the ribbon, I used the small circle from Wplus9 Design's Lacey Layers die to cut a circle from White cardstock and punched its center with a standard hole punch, before lacing it with a length of white chord and dressing it up with a bit of both Blueberry, seam binding ribbon and a bright blue, stripe ribbon, both tied in bows and studded with a stamped, in Jet Black ink, on White cardstock and hand-cut baseball.

The crown was Cameo-cut from Brilliant Blue and gold cardstocks and adhered in the bottom center of the tag. The Whisper White, cardstock "KC", too, was cut using my Cameo, adhered in the center of the pennant, and glittered. Securing the tag, with foam tape, to the patterned-paper panel of the card face completes the look.

I'll have a Family Update post ready for you all early next week. These people keep me running, y'all! I'll also be back bright and early tomorrow morning to share my take on The Studio's newest challenge. Until then, I've got plenty of cheering to do for our Kansas City Royals, and you can bet I'll be doing just that ;). Have a wonderful weekend, friends! Hugs!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Note: This is my fourth post in the last 24 hours. Deep breath. I'd be thrilled if you'd scroll down and check out all the fun!

Well, you made it! It's the final day of Paper Sweeties' October Release, and all the goodies you've seen here and on the Design Team's blogs (which, by the way, you must be sure to visit), over the last four days, are available for the pickin' even as this post goes live. But before you're off to doing that pickin', if you haven't done so already, how about one last, release-inspired creation?

I started this card by trimming the bottom of a piece of white, embossed, patterned paper with a strip of red, stripe, patterned paper and anchoring them both, to the White, cardstock, card face, with white-threaded, straight, machine stitches. I then wrapped a length of white, seam binding ribbon around the card face; tied it, in a bow, near the left edge of the card face; and embellished it with a chenille candy cane from the Paper Sweeties Shoppe, wrapped with a length of Baker's Twine, tied in a bow and, in turn, embellished with die-cut, felt, holly leaves, studded with a red Sparklet.

I then stamped a "25" journaling card, in Jet Black ink, with the "Believe" sentiment...

framed it with a bit of Cupid's Bow cardstock; trimmed it with chipboard, photo corners; further dressed it up with white-embossed, on vellum die cuts, snowflakes; and adhered it, to the card face, with foam tape.

Jake was then decked out in his Santa suite, which was stamped, in Jet Black ink, on White cardstock; colored with pencils; hand-cut out; and given a little shimmer and shine, before being adhered, with foam tape, near center of the card face to complete the look.

Thanks ever so much for all of your visits and lovely comments and to Debbie and her amazing crew for having me this month! I've had so much fun and can't wait to ink all these goodies up again in the near future! If you're not a regular follower of my blog, have a safe and blessed holiday season. And for the rest of you wonderful people, thanks so much for all you do to make this a place I continue to desire to be. Love you all!

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I am a former kindergarten teacher turned wife of 16 years to BJ and stay-at-home, homeschool mommy to three beautiful gifts from God, Ezekiel (14), Adina (9), and Kaden (4). When I'm not taking care of or playing with my family, you can find me cooking, baking, gardening, sewing, and of course, papercrafting. My love for the latter started over thirteen years ago, but my love for creating began before birth. I feel overwhelmingly blessed by all God has given me and know that if I continue to keep my eyes on Him, He'll keep me soaring.

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All images are copyright Jinny Newlin. Shared images are not to be copied, without written consent, and/or used for publications or design contests. If you find yourself inspired, and I hope you do, and would like to share your idea on the internet, please note where you found the original idea. Thanks!